Isaiah Called to be a Prophet
May 26, 2025
Commentary
In the passage Isaiah recounts his call to the ministry:
- He saw the Lord (vv. 1-4). King Uzziah dies. He had been a godly king, in spite of his sinful intrusion into the priest’s office ten years prior to his death (2 Chron. 26:18-21). With the death of Uzziah, Isaiah recognized Israel was in trouble, so he went to the temple to cry out to God. God in a vision gave Isaiah a renewed concept of who the Lord was.
- He saw himself (v. 5). Having seen God in the full light of His holiness he saw himself as he really was and said, “Woe is me” (v. 5).
- He saw the need (vv. 6-8). His nation needed the Lord. The Lord wanted someone to minister to the people and so Isaiah volunteered. He did not discuss his call with the Lord as Moses did (Ex. 3:11) but accepted the appointment immediately and spontaneously, “Here am I; send me” (v. 8). His vision was his commission.
- He saw rejection (vv. 9-13). His ministry for the most part would fall on deaf ears. He was to proclaim the Word no matter how people responded, for the test is not success but faithfulness.
Application
Do we need to wait for some kind of personal call as God has already told us “To go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone.” If I am not obeying this command, I am not obeying God.
Isaiah 6:1– 13 (NET)
1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and they used the remaining two to fly. 3 They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” 4 The sound of their voices shook the door frames, and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 I said, “Woe to me! I am destroyed, for my lips are contaminated by sin, and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen the king, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” 6 But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.” 8 I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” I answered, “Here I am, send me!” 9 He said, “Go and tell these people: “‘Listen continually, but don’t understand. Look continually, but don’t perceive.’
10 Make the hearts of these people calloused; make their ears deaf and their eyes blind. Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.”
11 I replied, “How long, Lord?” He said, “Until cities are in ruins and unpopulated, and houses are uninhabited, and the land is ruined and devastated,
12 and the Lord has sent the people off to a distant place, and the very heart of the land is completely abandoned.
13 Even if only a tenth of the people remain in the land, it will again be destroyed, like one of the large sacred trees or an Asherah pole, when a sacred pillar on a high place is thrown down. That sacred pillar symbolizes the special chosen family.”
Illustration: Moffat – Discouraged When Livingston Was Called | Calling
Robert Moffat, Scottish missionary to South Africa, came back to recruit helpers in his homeland. One night he was very discouraged when there were only ladies in his meeting, as he had chosen as his text Proverbs 8:4, “Unto you, O men, I call.” In his consternation he almost failed to notice a small boy in the loft who had come to work the bellows of the organ. Dr. Moffat felt hopeless as he gave the message, realizing that few women could be expected to undergo the rigorous experiences they would face in the undeveloped jungles of the continent where he labored. But God works in mysterious ways to carry out His wise purposes. Although no one volunteered, the young fellow was deeply challenged. Deciding he would follow in the footsteps of this pioneer missionary, he went on to school, obtained a degree in medicine, and then spent the rest of his life ministering to the unreached tribes of Africa. His name was David Livingstone! (Our Daily Bread).